Electrode-cooling system.



L. M. ASPINWALL.

ELECTRODE COOLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.23. 1915.

1,1 59,884. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 L H 7 A5 WITNESSES: INVENTOR entrain s rarngs rarnnr carton.

LOUIS M. ASPINWALL, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

ELECTRODE-COOLING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs M. AsPINWALp, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented a new and useful Improvement 1n Electrode-Cooling Systems, of wh1ch the following is a specification;

My invention relates to 'coolmg systems for vapor rectifiers and like apparatus, an it has for its object to provide meanswhereby the temperature of various portions of said apparatus may be maintalned at definite predetermined amounts with respect to each other. n The accompanylng drawmgis a s de VIGW, partially in sectlon and partlally 1n elevation, of a mercury-vapor rectifier embodying my invention. a

In the operation of vapor rectifiers, especially those of large size belonging to the metal-container type, the amount of heat generated at the anodes .is so great as to cause rapid deterioration of the substance thereof, with the expulsion of occluded gases and instability in the operation of the arc.

' In order, therefore, to maintain the temperature of the anodes within reasonable limits, it has become a usual practice .to artificially cool them as, for example, by streams of cooling fluid flowing through the interiors thereof. In an application of Frank Conrad, Serial No. 7 05,037,,filedJune 21, 1912, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, there is disclosed a rectifier-cooling system of this type wherein a stream of cooling fluid, after passin through a cathode-cooling space, is divi ed into branches which fiow through the separate anodes and then reunite. On account of the exceedingly small frictional hydrostatic head developed in each branch of this multiple fluid path, it is difiicult to obtain a proper division of cooling fluid between the diflerent branches thereof. The slightest structural dissimilarity between two anodes may give rise to a substantial difference in the relative amounts of cooling fluid passing through them, with consequent erratic and mefiicient action of the rectifier.

I have found that,yby using a relatively large amount of cooling fluid and passing it through the anode cooling spaces in succession, the anodes may be maintained at substantially equal temperatures. 'By the Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Noam 1915.

Application filed January 23, 1915. Serial No. 8,972.

use of a large amount of cooling fluid the templerature increment of the cooling fluid 1n e first anode may be reduced to any desired figure and thus the diiference of the temperature between the two anodes may be brought within any desired limits. 1

Referr1ng to the accompanying drawing, 2 1s the container of a rectifier, preferably of the Inercury-vapor-arc type, provided with a 11 uid cathode 3 and with suitable metallic .ano es 4 and 4', preferably of hollow steel. Current is supplied to the anodes 4 and 4' by suitable conductors 5 and flows fromthe cathode through a suitable conductor 6. The cathode 3 may be maintained in an active condltlon by any suitable means, such, for example, as a keep-alive circuit shown diagrammatically at 7. The container 2 is surrounded by a jacket 8 of such size that there is provided an annular cooling space 9 around the cathode 3. Suitable tubes 10 and 10 project into-the interiors of the hollow anodes 4 and 4 and are open at their lower ends for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Cooling fluid from any suitable source is supplied to the space 9 through a tube 11 and thence flows, via a tube 12, to the interior of the left hand anode 4, through the tube 10 and impinges upon the active heatlng surface thereof. The cooling fluid then passes through the annular space between the tubelO and the neck of the anode 4 and through a suitable tube 13 and the tube 10" to the active heating surface of the anode 4. It is thence conducted through the annular space between the tube 10' and the neck of the anode 4 to a suitable overflow tube 14. Suitable insulating joints 15 are placed in the tubes 12, 13 and 14 in order to prevent short circuiting of the rectifier.

It is essential, in order to obtain satisfactory operation in apparatus of this character, that the cathode be maintained at a relatively low temperature with respect to the anodes, and this result is-Obtained by m invention because of the fact that'the coo ing fluid first impinges upon the cathode radiating surface. As hitherto pointed out, the volume of cooling fluid employed should besuch that there will be but sllght increment in the temperature thereof in the interior of the anode 4. By this means, the cooling fluid supplied to the anode 4' is'of substantially the same temperature as that supplied to the anode 4, and the anodes are maintainedat substantially equal temperatures.

While I have described my invention as I applied to the two main anodes of a vapor readily applicable to other t arc rectifier, it is obvious that it may be applied to electrodes of other k1nds,'such, for example, as keep-alive anodes, either 1n connection with each other or in connectlon w1th the main anodes, and, furthermore, it is e of apparatus, such, for example, as -ray tubes. While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, I

' do not desire to be restricted thereto, but dein the appended claims or imposed by the' bination with a r of which is prov1 ed w1t a coolmg space,

sire that only such restrictions shall be placed upon my invention as are set forth prior art. v I

Iclaim as my invent1on:

1. In vap or electric apparatus, the comluralit of anodes, each of means for passing a cooling fluid through each of 'saidcooling spaces in succession.

2. In vapor electr1c apparatus, the comof means for Kassin a stream of cooling fluid through t e cat ode-cooling space and then through each of the anode-cooling spaces in success1on.

- 4. In vapor electric apparatus, the combination w1th a jacketed cathode and a plurality of hollow anodes, of means for passing a stream of coolin fluid throughthe cathode-jacket space then through the interiors of each of the anodes in succession.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of Jan.

'LOUIS M. ASPINWALL. Witnesses:

THoMAs C. WURTZ, B. B. HINES. 

